Chapter 34
A Month Ago
Third POV
"We're closed," Amara tells the man who's been watching her since she opened the bar, she had noticed his eyes on her immediately and had been cautious of him the entire time but he never approached.
"That so?" he says cockily, finishing his dark liquor.
"That's what I just said," She says slowly and firmly.
"I thought the staff was supposed to be nicer to customers," he tilts his head, Amara sighs annoyed trying to decide what weapon she should pull on this weirdo.
"Relax darling, I was just admiring how beautiful you are, you remind me of someone else,"
"Interesting, but there's only one me," she shrugs pointing at the exit, he ignores her signals to go away taking closer steps toward the bar, a charming smile takes his lips when he gets a closer look at her.
"I had a girlfriend who came here years ago, she wanted to be famous and travel the world, I told her it was a bad idea but she left anyway." Amara tilts her head, confused.
"I don't remember asking-"
"She said if I didn't believe in her I didn't love her," he says ignoring her interruption. "She left six months later and came back to me, broken and sad"
"What happened to her?" she asks tracing her finger over her shotgun under the bar.
"She was raped then murdered, she went missing for two days before they found her body and her so-called friends were just out partying, and my soulmate died thinking I betrayed her,"
"Daniel," she says in realization.
"I prefer Danny," her hands grab the shotgun, yanking it from behind the bar trigger ready.
"Easy girl, I just wanted to talk," he stares at the barrel before taking a few steps back.
"Nah, we don't need to talk, you threatened my son," she says dryly before pulling the trigger without flinching, due to close range he flies back hitting the wall, she cocks the gun shooting again and again when she notices him starting to heal.
She reloads ready to shoot again until something dark like a shadow grabs the barrel of her gun throwing it across the bar.
"Your boyfriends can move through the darkness but I can control it," he tells her, completely healed, his eyes glow a haunting but familiar red.
Something grabs her, dragging her back with a flick of his wrist. She's against the wall, her hands pinned above her head. She struggles trying to pull herself free.
"You struggle so pretty," he compliments, his cold fingers stroking her cheek.
"If you touch my son, I will end you, you think you've been through pain, I will make you beg for death," she threatens him.
"As dark as that boy's head is, I don't need him," he tells her, waving her off. He then places a piece of her hair behind her ear.
"You look just like her," he whispers in awe.
"I am not Maya," she tells him shaking her head, he grabs her chin pulling her face close.
"Will see," he pulls out a necklace, holding it to her neck.
Present Time
Amara POV
'You're fine,' is the mantra I repeat over and over on the ride over to the set with Roman. I know he was talking the whole ride but I honestly didn't hear a word. Visions of my aunt's life have been plaguing my mind giving me migraines but the visions were weird it was like I was her.
I could feel her trauma and her pain, I could hear her begging and pleading for them to stop. I could feel the knife stabbing into my flesh, I was still been unable to sleep and I panicked when a man got too close, the men's faces weren't very clear yet but the voices made my skin crawl.
When we got to the set it felt like I was back in Woodsboro, the replica of my house was here.
"Cool right?"Roman asks me giving me a tour, not noticing my weirded-out face.
"Sure, Roman, I'm not gonna throw up at all,"
"Amara?" The nausea immediately disappeared when I heard his familiar voice. " I'll be right back," I quickly tell Roman before ditching him.
"Dewey!" I yell excitedly jumping on his back, he catches me almost falling, but he hugs me back tighter.
"How are you? How's Tatum and the twins?" he asks a little too loudly, gripping my shoulders.
"They're fine, can you not ask that so loudly?" I had to tell Dewey about the twins since he was a little stubborn about letting Tatum leave, not that I could blame him, he loves Tatum to death and would be so hurt if something happened to her and that's something we both have in common.
"Amara? Wow, you're here,"
"Try not to hit her when you turn around," he tells me turning me around but his grip stays on my shoulders. I'm ready to insult her or tell her to go away but instead, my eyes immediately go to her bangs that were cut extremely short.
"Were you in an accident?"
"What?" she looks at me confused.
"It's just, you look like you got in a fight with a lawnmower," Dewey snorts but tries to cover it with his mouth.
"And lost," I add not being able to hold my laughter in anymore, Dewey joins me almost out of breath.
"You think that's funny?" she angrily directed at Dewey.
"Yes, very," he tells her.
"Gale Weathers?!" An angry voice shouts, sending chills down my spine.
"Can I be more popular?" she says annoyed. "No Reporters," he yells, having her escorted off the set, she tries to get Dewey's help but he ignores her which I knew was hard for him to do.
"You," the chilling voice says, the closer he gets the more I feel my flight or fight instincts kick in. His voice, I've heard it before. Recognition fills his eyes staring at me but it is also something else like he's seen a ghost.
"Do you work for me?" He asks me weirdly.
"No?" he questions when I don't answer. Why can't I speak?
"Do you want to? A face like yours could make a lot of money," he tells me trying not to come off creepy but it does. Dewey squints at him.
Luckily Roman's between us, pushing him back, "She's not interested,"
"That's too bad," he says, scanning me one last time before leaving. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and tried to stop my racing heart.
"Why are you afraid, Amara?" he whispers, holding my shaking hands. Dewey pushes him back engulfing me in a tight hug, I hug him back letting out a sigh of relief. He's one of them, I know voices, it was him.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you, Dewey," I look at Roman who looks disappointed. "Can you take me home?" He looks like he wants to argue but nods anyway.
It was quiet the whole ride back to the condo, I knew he wanted to say something but I didn't wanna hear it. He grabs my wrist before we can walk into the building, "Can we talk for a second?"
"I guess,"
"I've missed you, Mara, a lot and it just feels like even though you're here you're not here and I'm trying to help but I feel you keeping me at a distance," I nod agreeing with everything he's saying.
"You gave me a choice Roman, four years ago, and if you gave me the same choice I'd choose the same thing, I do not see you that way and I keep telling you that but you kept pushing so unless you wanna just be friends we have nothing more to talk about," I tell him firmly, before pulling my wrist from him.
"I know it's hard having feelings for someone who doesn't feel that way back, but if you just accept it and move on you might be able to move on with your life and be happy," I give him a side hug leading him into the condo. " You're a great Roman and you're gonna make a girl really happy one day but that girl ain't me," I flick his nose making him groan.
"Your honesty hurts," he tells me with a broken smile.
"Would you prefer I drag you along?" I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It's better to be honest it will hurt but they'll move on and you'd be able to as well.
When I open the door I'm surprised to see Tatum frantically searching the condo, when she sees me she lets out a nervous laugh. "What are you doing?"
"It's not my fault," she shouts tossing the throw pillow, we were playing a game, then Sam made me a cup of juice, then I fell asleep for an hour or two and now I can't find the twins,"
"What?!" my heart drops until I hear familiar giggling in the twin's bedroom. I rush to their room not before grabbing a knife. I open the door and sigh in relief when I see the twins hiding in the corner.
"Tatum, that is not funny," I yelled at her.
Tatum rushes in confusion written on her face when she sees them, she looks at them then around the room. "What were you guys giggling at?"
"You wouldn't think it's funny," Warren tells me as Sam snickers. Warren's face drops when he notices Roman in the doorway.
"What's he doing here?"
"I was just walking your mom in," he tells him, giving him a genuine smile but Warren just stares at him.
"We'll she's here, goodbye," he waves him off rudely.
"Warren don't be rude, he's a guest," I scold him, he looks at me for a few seconds before looking back to Roman.
"You're right Mom, I'll make him a cup of juice," he tells me not offering as he leaves the bedroom, Tatum chuckles dryly leaving backward out the room.
"I'm gonna watch him, pour that drink,"
I nod glad she offered cause I was about to go after him, like he's ever offered anyone a drink before unless it does something weird or poisons it. I notice Sam hugging a really cute teddy bear that I don't remember buying.
"Where'd you get that?"
She giggles holding it tighter, "It's a secret,"
I didn't like the sound of that. "Roman, why don't you go sit on the couch," he nods leaving the room as I try to ask my daughter more questions but she was keeping her lips sealed tight. Tatum walks back into the room holding Warren by the arm.
"I caught him in the kitchen spinning a spoon in pink lemonade" Warren looks at her boredly before looking at me. "Tell her what you mixed in the drink,"
"Rat poison," he shrugs like it's no big deal.
I grab his shoulders pulling him close to me, "Why would you try to kill Roman?" he's never taken his hate for someone this far.
"I don't like him, he's not family,"
"Warren, killing people is wrong, you cannot do this again do you understand?" I ask slowly but he thinks for a few seconds before nodding.
"I understand mama," I cup his face in my hand before kissing him on the forehead.
HOURS BEFORE
"Please jump on the bed with me?" Sam begs as she jumps on the bed almost out of breath, Warren looks at her boredly as he draws in his sketchbook.
"No," he tells her, continuing to color.
"When you made Aunty go sleepy I thought we'd have fun," she tells him, annoyed that he won't play.
"I just wanted her quiet," he mumbles.
"You promised we'd play!"
"Shh do you hear that?" he covers her mouth with his hand, the twins follow the sounds of bickering back and forth. Warren grabs Betsy ready to swing until the man's familiar face has him pausing but only for a moment.
"You are such an idiot," Billy tells Stu, annoyed as they look around, at what could possibly be the wrong condo which would be the fifth wrong one Stu led them to.
"Don't you have any new insults?"
Billy catches a bat midswing toward his leg, surprised to see his son on the other end, with no fear but pure determination to break bone.
Billy snatches the bat from him which only makes the boy glare at him, Billy looks at Stu before bending down at eye level with Warren.
"Where's your mom?" he asks firmly, he zones out for a moment when he sees Sam hiding behind him, he wants to hug her tight, but she might not know about him and think he's trying to attack.
Warren stays quiet just staring at him, Sam moves from behind him eyeing the strange but familiar men, "Who are you?"
"We're. I'm your,"
"Bodyguard," Stu finishes when Billy can't.
"Yeah we're your bodyguards," he says more confidently. Warren eyes them suspiciously.
"Where's your mom?" Billy asks again,
"Shouldn't you know," he points out, crossing his arms. Billy cracks a smile shaking his head. "You are something else,"
"I've been told," he says back.
"Mom's not here," Sam speaks up. "She's with her boyfriend Roman," she teases toward Warren whose face gets red.
"He is not her boyfriend," he says angrily, yanking his arm away from her. Billy's chest swelled with pride at the thought of his son hating his enemy just as much as he does.
"How about I get rid of Roman for you? I hate him just as much as you do," Warren looks at Billy skeptical but feels like he could trust him.
"Alright, what's the catch?"
"You guys have to come with us to an amusement park," Stu says suddenly, Billy wants to protest but when Sam starts cheering and a bit of excitement shines in Warren's eyes he couldn't help but agree.
"Hold on, who's watching you guys?"
"Aunty Tate, but Ren gave her special juice," Sam whispers giggling. Billy and Stu look at Warren wide-eyed.
"She's not dead," he tells them after a few seconds.
Billy and Stu ended up taking them to the amusement park. Billy held Sam's waist as she rode the carousel she was having a lot of fun, Warren on the other hand seemed distracted. It wasn't until the animals in the petting zoo were somehow released did they realized why. Warren watched laughing as the animals chased people.
Billy looks down at Warren, "too much sugar," he tells him laughing. They ended up fleeing the scene until they came upon a gaming booth, Sam gets excited seeing stuffed animals.
"Which one do you want?" Stu asks her. "Those aren't for sale, you have to win them," the booth clerk tells them.
"It's simple, you just pick up a sticky ball, throw it at the target and it has to land in the middle, that easy,"
Billy hands him the money and watches as the twins try to hit the target at the last second, Warren makes the middle shot but the ball doesn't stick to the middle like it's supposed to.
"Aww looks like it didn't work, wanna try again?" Stu grabs him by the collar, almost lifting him off the ground. "My godson made that target, give us the damn bear,"
Billy grabs Stu's shoulder pulling him from the man, "It's fine Stu, will play one more time, except I'll be playing" he hands the clerk the money who takes it happily. The twins stand back giving Billy, he pulls a knife out of his sleeve hitting the target right in the middle.
"I think that's in the middle unless you rather it be in the middle of something else?" he hints pulling, another knife out his sleeve. Warren stares at his father in awe.
The clerk hands Sam the stuffed animal she wants, making sure not to make eye contact with any of them. Stu was still debating whether or not to kill him.
"That was awesome," Warren tells them with a genuine smile.
"Let's go win some more,"
"Do you like the stuffed teddy bear?" Billy asks Sam who holds it close to her chest nodding. "It reminds me of you,"
Stu snickers trying to cover it up with a laugh. They spent the rest of the time there eating and playing games, Billy liked pranks just as much as Warren which made them get along really well, all doubts Warren had about the strange men were gone. Warren accidentally got separated from the rest when he got distracted by a boy with the brightest green eyes he'd ever seen.
The boy was crying, Warren wasn't very good with people crying so he just sat there listening to the boy's sobs, when they finally stopped when the boy noticed Warren sitting next to him, his face lit up making Warren feel weird.
"Go back to crying," he tells him, about to walk away but the boy pulls on his shirt. He doesn't say anything, just hangs on sniffling.
Warren rolls his eyes handing the boy a small stuffed fox toy that his dad won him in the claw machine, "There, now stop being weak,"
The boy wipes his tears giving Warren a big smile as he nods his head. "I'm Warren," he tells the boy, before he can introduce himself back, Warren could hear his name being called in the distance.
"I gotta go," he tells the boy running and not looking back. The boy felt sad not telling the boy his name but he smiled at the cute stuffed toy he gave him and hoped he'd see him again one day.
"How'd you guys do that?" Warren asks Billy and Stu, confused about how one moment they were at the amusement park and then the next back at the condo in their room.
"We know magic," Stu says, like it's obvious.
"Don't run away like that again," Billy scolds Warren, ruffling his curly hair. "You made me worried sick.
"I'm sorry Dad," he catches Billy off guard, he looks at Sam who's already looking at him with a warm knowing smile.
"You knew? You both knew?"
"Not at first," he tells him, which was the truth, but they put it together very quickly with how protective and caring he was and they had way too much in common for the twins not to catch on.
"They are smart for their age," Stu says, stuffing all their new gifts under the bed.
"Why aren't you and mama together?" Sam asks him.
"It's complicated but it's not her fault," he tells them, cupping their heads, he kneels so they can look down at him. "We're all gonna be together again as a family I promise,"
They both tackle him in a tight hug that makes his heartache "We love you," Sam mumbles into his neck.
"Not as much as I love the both of you," Sam holds her hand out for Stu, he smiles happy to feel accepted as she pulls him down into the hug.
"Now it's time for tickles," Stu says, attacking their stomachs with his long fingers, they laugh together almost out of breath, having enough Warren kicks Stu hard in the stomach.
"You hit like your mom," he gasps out in pain holding his stomach.
"Speaking of, you can't tell your mom we were here, can you guys keep this day a secret?" he tilts his head toward the door for a moment then back at them, the twins look at each other knowing their decision before looking at their father.
"Okay," they agree in unison.
The door opens, surprising the twins stopping their laughter, their mom stands in the doorway looking frantically around the room before she sighs in relief, the twins don't react when they notice their father and uncle have disappeared.
"Tatum that's not funny" she yells at her roommate who rushes into the bedroom confused, she was just in here and they were not there but she figured since she's off the hook just leave it at that.
"What was so funny?" Amara asks the twins who look at each other and then back at her.
"You wouldn't think it's funny," Warren says as Sam snickers, slowly pushing her gifts more under the bed so her mother doesn't see them. She was happy to finally have a dad in her life and she wasn't letting him go anytime soon and Warren felt the same way.